Microsoft Intune is the cloud-based device management platform included in Microsoft 365 Business Premium — allowing Australian businesses to enrol, configure, monitor, and remotely wipe Windows PCs, Macs, iPhones, iPads, and Android devices from a single administration console. Intune is the foundation of Microsoft's Zero Trust device security model and is required for Essential Eight Maturity Level 2 compliance for Australian businesses managing endpoints.
What Microsoft Intune does for Australian businesses — the six core functions
Intune covers six functions that together replace traditional endpoint management. Device enrolment through Windows Autopilot gives zero-touch setup — a new Windows PC configures itself out of the box with no IT involvement, which matters when you are shipping laptops to remote staff across Australia. Compliance policies define what a compliant device looks like: minimum OS version, BitLocker encryption enabled, Microsoft Defender running, screen lock configured — and access to Microsoft 365 is blocked until the device meets that standard. App deployment pushes Microsoft 365 apps, line-of-business applications, and security tooling to enrolled devices automatically, removing manual software installation entirely. Conditional Access integration feeds Intune compliance status into Entra ID, so a non-compliant device is blocked from email and files regardless of valid credentials. Mobile application management (MAM) protects Microsoft 365 apps on personally-owned phones without enrolling the whole device — corporate data is controlled, the personal phone is not. Remote wipe removes corporate data from a lost or stolen device, either selectively or as a full factory reset.
Intune vs on-premise Active Directory and Group Policy — why Australian businesses are switching
Traditional Windows management through on-premise Active Directory and Group Policy requires domain-joined PCs, VPN connectivity for remote policy application, and domain controller infrastructure you have to patch, back up, and eventually replace. Intune removes all of it for cloud-first Australian businesses by managing devices over the internet. The practical advantages are specific. Remote worker support — policies, updates, and software deployments reach any device with an internet connection, with no VPN in the path. Entra ID join — devices join Entra ID instead of an on-premise domain, so users sign in with the same Microsoft 365 credentials they already use, with no separate Windows domain identity to manage. Windows Autopilot — new PCs ship directly from the supplier to remote staff and configure themselves on first boot. Co-management — businesses that still need on-premise Active Directory for a legacy application can run Intune alongside Group Policy and shift workloads across gradually. The majority of new Microsoft 365 Business Premium deployments Mycelium 365 delivers for Australian businesses now use Intune as the sole device management platform, with no on-premise Active Directory at all.
Ready to replace Group Policy and on-premise Active Directory with Microsoft Intune? Book a free Intune readiness assessment → — we'll review your current device management setup and provide a fixed-price Intune deployment proposal.
Intune and Essential Eight compliance for Australian businesses
Intune is the primary tool for achieving Essential Eight compliance across Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android endpoints. The mapping is direct. Patch applications — Intune software update policies and Windows Update for Business drive automatic application patching within 48 hours for internet-facing services and 30 days for everything else. Patch operating systems — deployment rings control feature and quality updates with defined deferral periods, so a pilot group validates updates before the rest of the fleet receives them. Application control — Windows Defender Application Control policies are deployed through Intune to every enrolled Windows device, blocking unapproved executables and scripts. Restrict administrative privileges — compliance policies combined with Entra ID Conditional Access block admin-level access from any device that fails the compliance baseline. User application hardening — Attack Surface Reduction rules block web shell execution, macro execution from internet-sourced Office files, and other high-risk behaviours that account for a large share of real-world compromises. Mycelium 365 includes Intune configuration as a core component of every Essential Eight gap remediation project, alongside identity and cloud workload hardening.
Microsoft Intune pricing and licensing for Australian businesses
Intune is included in Microsoft 365 Business Premium at $28.10 per user per month AUD, with no additional licence required. Businesses on Microsoft 365 Business Standard or E3 that want to add device management can license Microsoft Intune Plan 1 standalone for approximately $10.50 per user per month AUD. Intune Plan 2 adds endpoint privilege management — allowing specific applications to run with elevated rights without granting the user full local admin — plus advanced endpoint analytics, at approximately $16 per user per month standalone. For most Australian SMBs the right answer is Business Premium: it bundles Intune Plan 1, Entra ID P1, and Defender for Business into a single per-user price, giving you the complete modern device management and security stack without stacking add-on SKUs. Mycelium 365 includes Intune configuration and ongoing device management in the Modern Workplace and Complete Security managed service packages, so licensing and administration are covered under one monthly cost.
How Mycelium 365 deploys and manages Intune for Australian businesses
We deploy Intune as part of every Microsoft 365 Business Premium implementation, configuring enrolment, compliance baselines, Conditional Access, and application deployment before the first device is handed to a user. Windows Autopilot is configured so new hardware ships straight to staff and builds itself, wherever they are. Ongoing device management — policy changes, update ring management, new device onboarding, and offboarding with remote wipe — is included in our managed Microsoft 365 service rather than billed hourly. Every configuration is aligned to Essential Eight requirements from day one, so compliance is a by-product of the build rather than a separate remediation project later. Talk to us about your device management setup.
Microsoft Intune and Microsoft Endpoint Manager
Microsoft Endpoint Manager is the unified management platform that brings Intune (cloud-based MDM/MAM) and Configuration Manager (on-premises) under one roof — Intune is the device management component of Microsoft Endpoint Manager that matters for cloud-first organisations. When people talk about Microsoft endpoint management today, they almost always mean Intune.
Mycelium 365 deploys Microsoft Intune for Australian businesses as part of every managed Modern Workplace engagement: Windows Autopilot enrolment profiles, compliance policies, app deployment rings, and Conditional Access integration — configured once, governed on an ongoing basis, and evidenced for Essential Eight reporting.